Present From The Past
by Shade the Hero
Summary: What does the Lifestream award someone who saves the planet more than once? A second Chance.
1. Chapter 1

_This isn't another story that came to me on a whim. A while back, a FF7 writer and I had been talking about different theories and ideas between Advent Children and Advent Children Complete. I forget how time travel came into the mix, but we discussed what may have happened after the explosion and Cloud found himself drifting in the lifestream. His injuries were healed, but what about everything else? They also asked me if I had ever done a time travel fic before. Back then I didn't have the confidence for it, now I think I could try. I've had this siting on my computer for a while now and I figure it was a good time to bring it out. Not sure yet if this will replace "Feathers" or not as I'm still working out plot holes in that one. This story also may be a bit AU, but not much.  
_

_Final FantasyVII and all related characters belong to Square Enix. _

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**Present From The Past**

The cliffs surrounding the remains of Midgar were barren as always. nothing would grow in a land scarred by death and bad memories. Dust, dirt and rocks filled the landscape as far as the eye could see, except on one lonely cliff. A small patch of flowers waved in the dusty winds, unaffected by the hot sun that couldn't quite punch through the clouds.

No one had been to this place in a long time. The city of Edge had been growing bigger and stronger, leaving Midgar to rot. Only one lone soul continued to visit the green spot on the hill. He had come there many times. It had been his secret retreat. A place where he could think more clearly and be alone. There was one other reason that he would come. On every anniversary, without fail. That was the case this time.

Fenrir came to a stop a few yards away from the cliff edge. Removing his sunglasses, Cloud approached the spot. A sword once stood where the flowers bloomed, but he had removed it long ago and placed it in a far better resting place.

It seemed like a lifetime ago, but in reality it had only been a few years. A few years since Cloud lost his friend, a few years since he defeated a sickness, a few years since he opened back up after being so distant. He had begun to trust people again. To live for himself and not solely for another. It happened two years after he was cured from the Stigma. Something that changed him and he kept it's origins secret from everyone around him. An old friend had visited his dreams.

The visitor had spiky black hair, an X-shaped scar on his cheek and the personality of an energetic puppy. The first class SOLDIER approached his blonde friend and bonked him on the head.

_"Get it together man! Quit slacking off!"_

"Slacking off?"

Cloud had defeated Sephiroth again, and was helping the city to rebuild as well as helping his friends build a good name for AVALANCHE. He would hardly consider that slacking off.

_"I'm talking about the promise," _Zack placed his hands on his hips and pouted. He seemed a bit hurt.

"I don't understand," Cloud replied.

Zack couldn't hide his smile any longer. In life or death he couldn't stay mad at his friend.

_"I said you are my living legacy, but that doesn't mean you can't live your own life. To tell ya the truth pal, I came off as selfish,"_

"You died to save me, I don't consider that selfish," the blonde retorted.

Zack chuckled, _"Fair enough, but I want you to live your own life. Don't try to do what I would have done. What happened to that cadet I became friends with? sure we both went through hell, but I'm still me. Who are you? The spirited cadet who'd die to protect what he holds dear? Or is he some loner who keeps his true self locked away because he's afraid of failing?"_

Cloud remained silent.

_"Mhm, thought so. Look, Cloud, you gotta start letting people in. Getting hurt is part of life. Don't you think you've punished yourself long enough? I don't blame you for what happened. I never did, because none of it was your fault. You think being a soldier would've made a difference? You beat him after I failed. A cadet did what a first class SOLDIER couldn't. You've got a great life ahead of you. Don't push it away."_

Cloud was still silent, but this time it was shock, not guilt that held his tongue. His friend's words really sunk in and realization dawned on him.

"..Zack,"

The soldier placed a hand on his friend's shoulder. _"I'll see you at the cliff."_

The dream had ended there and when Cloud woke up the next morning everyone else noticed the change. Over the past two years Cloud had become a very different person. Limiting the range of his delivery service so he could be closer to home and spend more time with Tifa, Marlene and Denzel. He helped his friends out when they needed it and he even started laughing again, catching many off guard. The biggest change came seven months ago when he proposed to Tifa.

The wedding was in two days and although Cloud was looking forward to it and to spending his life with Tifa at his side, it still felt like something was missing. Tifa claimed she knew. cloud still hadn't chosen a best man. Cid had offered, but since he asked when he was heavily drunk and asked Tifa if she was eating for two yet she refused to let him be anywhere near her at the ceremony, after throwing him across the room. She often told him he was lucky to even get an invitation.

Cloud snapped himself back to reality. He had let his mind wander and without realizing it, he had been smiling. He looked at the flowers where the sword had once stood.

"I wish you could see this."

Cloud turned and headed back to his motorcycle before something caught the corner of his eye. Glowing Green energy ribbons from the Lifestream danced around him. He was surprised, but not alarmed. It wasn't the first time this had happened to him, but it was strange none the less. It left him wondering who would appear before him. Aerith? or maybe Zack.

The ribbons increased in number and engulfed both him and Fenrir. Cloud soon found himself pulled into the Lifestream. He didn't know what to make of it. It was then that he heard a voice. It felt like a collective of many, yet it echoed as a single being.

_"Wish granted."_

There was a burst of light and Cloud was forced to close his eyes. When he opened them he noticed it was raining and he could hear sounds of battle off in the distance. Three infantrymen past him, guns trained in front of them as they headed towards the sounds of battle. The three either didn't see him or completely ignored him as they seemed determined to complete their mission. Cloud suddenly had a very bad feeling. Shinra no longer had any footmen or soldiers.

He opened the side compartments of Fenrir and attached his swords together to form the Fusion Sword and took off towards the battle.

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_Oh, and if I get any details wrong from the movies or the games, feel free to correct me. I know enough about the series, but I don't claim to be an expert. _


	2. Chapter 2

_Oh wow, the feedback from you all is awesome. Thank you so much. I hope you enjoy where this story goes. I wills ay that I don't know how often updates will come, but they will come regardless. I have no intentions of letting this story go unfinished. _

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Cloud tried to keep up with the three, but he had lost them while fighting off monsters that had begun to gather to feast on the dead bodies that littered the area. Obviously something big was going down, but exactly what, Cloud couldn't tell. It was obvious they were Shinra. He'd know that uniform anywhere. He turned a corner and walked right into the line of sight of more troops, about forty in all. They aimed their weapons at him.

"Halt! Don't move or we'll shoot!" shouted one as he pulled out a small booklet from his uniform pocket.

"Captain, does he look like one of the fugitives?" asked the man next to him.

The man flipped the first page. He definitely didn't fit the description of the first, but the second one, it was hard to tell. Both had blue eyes, spiky blonde hair, but this man standing before them seemed older and it was obvious he was no rookie cadet. The way he carried himself, his weapon and the look in his eyes. They were focused and sharp, as if this man had seen many battles.

Cloud watched the man's gaze shift from him to the book several times before he closed it and held up his arm. The men lowered their weapons.

"He's not one of the fugitives, let him go."

"Fugitives?" Cloud couldn't help himself. He was getting a strong sense of Déjà vu.

The captain glared and pointed in the direction behind the warrior. "That's classified information. Now, I suggest you go that way and don't look back. We got a dangerous mission to complete and I don't want any wannabe heroes getting caught up in the crossfire."

"You mean you don't want anyone else taking the credit," Cloud huffed.

He knew that man's type. The grunt who always got the crummy jobs and tried to get as much credit as he could no matter what the outcome, as long as it made him a hero it was all he cared about. Cloud wasn't intimidated by him in the least. After all, it was greedy ones like him that always get killed in the end.

The captain grunted as he took the bait. Cloud almost rolled his eyes at how easy it was to goad the man as the grunt captain approached him.

"You think you can do better than an army of soldiers?"

"Yes."

His reply was cool and confident, leaving the captain to question who this man was.

"You some kind of mercenary?"

"Something like that."

More gunfire could be heard over the ridge followed by screams. The captain was getting nervous. Suddenly his entire demeanor seemed to change.

"Alright, if you wanna help us catch these two, you'll get a recent reward."

"Just two?" Cloud raised an eye brow before turning to walk away. "Not interested."

"What, you scared?"

Cloud stopped, was the man actually trying to goad him? No, the man's voice held a hint of fear and a touch of desperation. It was a wonder he carried the rank of a captain.

"You don't get it, these two have been on the run for months. One's a first class SOLDIER!"

Cloud became fully alert and felt sick to his stomach. It couldn't be possible. There was no way. It sounded too familiar.

"And the other?"

The captain opened the book and read over the file. "Just some low-class cadet, but the two seem to be chums. The SOLDIER won't leave him behind even though the guy seems to be either dead or comatose. Every time we've spotted the soldier the other guy is always out of it."

Cloud already knew what he was going to do, but he had to be careful. One that moment he knew the Lifestream had granted his wish, now he had to make sure it came true.

"So, you gonna help us, or what?"

The swordsman clenched his fists. He hated taking out those who were weaker than him, but if he didn't then this whole thing was pointless, besides they were only carrying out these orders for their own greed. Two men against forty and who knows how many others that his friend was fighting?

The man was right behind him now, Cloud could feel his gaze.

"Forty-one against two, that seems a bit unfair."

The captain seemed surprised, "What does it matter? A SOLDIER is stronger than your average infantryman. It evens it out in the end."

Cloud turned and pointed his sword at the captain. "You'll need a lot more than forty to even the odds."

"What are you talking about? You're saying we; Shinra's finest can't pull off a simple mission?"

"If it were simple you would have caught them months ago."

"Why you! Men, ready your weapons!"

The troops aimed their weapons at Cloud, lighting him up with red lights. The swordsman just stood there, his sword relaxed, but at the ready.

The captain walked out of the line of fire. "Sorry to have to do this, but we finally got those two cornered and you're just in the way."

Their was an ominous clam about the swordsman, but the captain ignored it. The guy was about to die anyway.

"I'm sorry to," Cloud replied.

This caught the captain off guard. "For what?"

In one swift motion the captain was dead, struck down by the sword. The other men were horrified by the sudden death of their commander. They all began firing at the swordsman who deflected the bullets with his sword. Quickly gaining ground, Cloud lept into the mass of troops and began cutting down his attackers.

He dodged several shots from the armored vehicle and countered by throwing his sword which smashed through the windshield, killing the driver and the person behind him. Cloud went to retrieve his sword when he was shot in the arm. Pulling his sword free he quickly took care of the shooter and with one leap he landed in the middle of the last four that were left. They all turned their weapons at once and Cloud jumped to avoid the shots. Two of the troops were killed by friendly fire while Cloud finished off the remaining two.

The battle was over quickly enough, leaving Cloud surrounded by dead troopers. His arm was bleeding pretty heavily, but as he headed over to the truck to see if there was anything he could use to treat his injury he heard a heart-wrenching scream.

He looked in the direction it came from and his blood ran cold when he realized it had come from the cliff. The very same cliff he visited every year on the day of...

"Zack!"

Cloud hurried to the scene, but stopped when he heard someone coming. Not wanting to deal with anymore troops he hid behind a rock. Less than a minute later someone stumbled past the rock, not noticing Cloud. The person was dragging something and from the sounds of his steps he was having trouble walking. Cloud waited until the footsteps had faded before he continued towards the battlefield. What worried him most was how silent it had become.

When he arrived he was met with a familiar scene. Something that had plagued his nightmares more than a few times. Hundreds of troops laying dead and scattered everywhere and over towards the cliff lay the one who they had been hunting.

Cloud hurried over to the body of his friend. Laying with his eyes open and several bullet wounds to his chest was the body of Zack Fair.

Again. Cloud was forced to go through this **again**. He had failed his friend not once, but twice. He had his chance to save him and he blew it. He had taken too long to deal with those troops. The pain became overwhelming and he feel to his knees. His fists were shaking with rage. His arm was throbbing, but he didn't care. It was just like before, whenever he put his heart into something he always messed up.

The rain came down harder as if it shared his pain, but it did more than soak him. The pain in his arm began to fade. Cloud looked at his injury. His eyes opened wide when he saw the rain healing him. Just like before when the rain had cured him of his Stigma.

A cough to his left startled him. Looking over at his friend, Cloud did a double take. Zack had closed his eyes as the rain restored his life and slowly healed his injuries.

Slowly, Zack opened his eyes and looked around. He saw his friend and smiled.

"Hey, you're up and around. 'Bout time. I was startin' to get worried."

Cloud was stunned. He knew the healing rain had to be powerful to cure a sickness as devastating as Geostigma, but to do this? It rendered him speechless.

Zack's smile seemed to turn from joy to one of sympathy. "Guess you're not fully recovered yet. Still, you're moving on your own. I left you a safe distance from here."

He slowly sat up as Cloud closed his eyes and smiled. "You get riddled with bullets and you're worried about me,"

Zack wasn't laughing though. "You really had me worried. I was starting to think you'd never come out of it."

Then he stopped and looked his friend in the eye, "Wait, you just spoke?"

Cloud blinked in confusion.

"...Yeah?"

Cloud was suddenly pulled into a noggie as Zack smiled and laughed as if nothing had happened. "You're amazing! Ya know that? No one's ever recovered that fast from mako poisoning! I always knew you were special, Spiky!"

Cloud couldn't hide his smile, and he didn't have the heart to tell his friend the truth. He'd wait until later for that.

After a while Zack let his friend go as he looked around. "Hey, Cloud?"

"Yeah?"

"Where's my sword?"

The swordsman looked around and then he realized. That person he thought was a trooper was actually his younger self, he was dragging the sword and stumbling due to the effects of the mako poisoning that was slowly wearing off. Cloud knew what would happen after that, but he had to think of a way to tell Zack without him thinking he was crazy.

"It's...safe," was all he said.

"Oh," he replied. "Well, C'mon buddy, I'm sure they've got reinforcements waiting somewhere nearby. We better get moving."

He went to get up but started to fall when Cloud caught him and held him up.

"My turn."

As Cloud helped Zack along, the SOLDIER couldn't figure out the sudden change in his friend.

"I have a feeling you've got a story to tell me, but let's wait until we get to Midgar, that battle really tired me out," Zack replied with a smirk.

Cloud tried to remember what happened after he left the first time. He couldn't remember everything, but he knew the fate that would befall Midgar and the role he would play. He knew going there was not an option.

"We're not going to Midgar. That's where they'll be expecting us, besides, something big is going to happen and we don't want to be apart of it."

Zack glanced at his friend. "How do you know all this?"

Cloud sighed as he headed back to where Fenrir was parked. "I'll explain later."


	3. Chapter 3

_I want to thank everyone whose taken the time to read this story. The stats are amazing, I haven't seen stats like this since "Fool's Checkmate" ...which I'm slowly working on. I wanted to thank those who have posted reviews. Your input has helped fuel this update which would have probably taken another two weeks without the feedback. So, for that I thank you and encourage more reviews as the story continues to unfold. This one's a bit slow, but action will start picking back up starting with the next chapter. _

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The going was slow for a while until Zack was steady enough to support himself. The two retraced Cloud's steps past the group that Cloud had fought and then carried on a ways until they reached where Fenrir was left. Zack's eyes grew wide and if Cloud didn't know better, he could have sworn they sparkled. Zack hurried over to the bike and the blonde swordsman had to suppress a chuckle. It was like watching a kid on Christmas morning.

"This is amazing!" Zack breathed as he rubbed his hand along the front rim. He trailed along the side until he triggered something and the sides snapped open revealing hidden twin compartments on either side. Zack had jumped back, startled until Cloud approached the bike with a smirk and placed his sword in one of the empty slots.

"Like it?" he asked, already knowing the answer.

For once, Zack was at a loss for words. It wasn't so much the bike that shocked him. It was trying to figure out how this was Cloud's. "Is...how did you get this?"

The compartments closed as Cloud mounted the bike.

"C'mon, we better get outta here before more troops show up."

Zack was a little unsure at first, but realizing his friend was right he got on and Fenrir rumbled to life.

"You might want to hold on," Cloud advised.

"Why?"

Cloud revved up the bike and took off. He was tempted to push Fenrir to its top speed, but then thought about how far they'd have to travel and didn't want to burn the gas. Zack meanwhile was holding on tightly after almost being flung off at the start.

They had been traveling for a few hours before Cloud decided to pull over for a rest. They were out of the desert and in a small wooded area. The sun had already set by the time Zack had the fire going with the wood that he had found while Cloud had caught a few fish from the nearby fresh-flowing stream while getting filling their canteens.

Once Zack got the fish cooking the two sat back and waited. Both sitting on opposite sides of the fire. Cloud was relaxed, but Zack was understandably a bit more tense. The soldier had been lead in the opposite direction of where he had been heading for months, right when he was so close, he was still a fugitive and to top it all off his best friend and cadet seemed to be completely recovered. Normally that'd be cause for celebration, but it felt wrong. There were several differences that Zack noticed aside from Cloud's speedy recovery. The bike, the fancy new outfit he sported, the sword that reminded Zack of a giant swiss army knife; the whole thing had him on edge.

Zack tried to distract himself by gazing around his surroundings, but his companion sensed his friend's tension.

"Something wrong?"

"I just can't wrap my mind around it," Zack replied.

"What?" Cloud asked as he poked at the fire.

"You. I mean, don't get me wrong. We're pals, right?"

"Of course," poke.

"And whatever I say you promise not to take the wrong way, right?"

"I won't," poke poke.

"Are you really Cloud?"

"..." the blonde stopped poking the fire and looked up at his friend.

Zack sighed and shook his head. "Sorry, man. That was stupid. Of course you're Cloud. Who else could you be?"

"I'm not exactly the Cloud you know."

Slowly Zack looked over at his friend who averted his gaze and instead looked down to the side. "What do you mean?"

Cloud sat back against a fallen log and rested his elbow on his upraised knee. Zack took that as a sign of a long story and got comfortable.

"I am the Cloud you know, but I'm not at the same time," Why was it so hard for him to explain? He saw Zack's 'confused puppy' look and sighed before going into further detail.

"I'm from the future."

"Whoa, so wait, that means your older? By how much?" he asked as he opened the cap on the water canteen.

Cloud was a bit surprised his friend believed him so easily. "I'll be twenty-eight in a few months."

Zack nearly choked on the water. "No! Seriously?! But, that makes you older than me now." A thought flashed across Zack's mind and he instantly stood up. "Wait! What about Younger Cloud?! I left him back in the canyon!"

"Relax, my younger self is fine," Cloud tried to reassure his friend, even though just by sitting here should have convinced him of that.

Zack calmed down a bit, but he was still worried. "But, how is he? What's gonna happen? Is he still suffering from the mako poisoning? What if he thinks I abandoned him?"

"Zack, I'll..._he'll_ be fine. Trust me," Cloud let out an aggravated sigh. This was going to take a while. "Just calm down and let me explain, please?"

Zack was still uneasy, but he sat back down and did as his time-traveling friend asked. Cloud waited until he was sure Zack was listening before he began.

"I don't exactly know how I ended up in the past, or why the Lifestream granted my wish,..." he paused when it looked like Zack was about to say something, but Zack saw the irritated look his friend gave him and thought against it.

"In my time, you died on that cliff. It was painful and saying I took it hard would be an understatement. I was lost and confused for a long time, until..."

Zack listened as his friend related what had taken place in his timeline. The incident with AVALANCHE and Shinra, the rise and Fall of Sephiroth, the destruction of Midgar and what happened with Geostigma and Sephiroth's return. During this time the fish had already been cooked and eaten by the time the swordsman had finished and the fire had begun to die down.

Zack just sat there and shook his head. "Wow, the things you went through,...I'm sorry."

"Don't be," Cloud replied with a shrug.

"But, if only I had been there, things might have been different and you wouldn't have suffered so much."

Cloud smirked at his friend's reply. If only he knew. "Well, you're here now."

At this Zack perked up. "That's right! since I survived this time I can make sure you don't have to go through all of that!"

"No."

Zack stopped and gave his friend the strangest look. "What? Why not?"

"I don't want to change the timeline too much. Right now, my past self still believes you to be dead. He's the one who has your sword and he'll need it for what he has to face."

Zack folded his arms. "So, what do you expect me to do? Stand by and watch?"

"Actually, I was going to ask if you wanted to come back to the future with me."

Zack found himself needing to sit down. "You serious?"

"I'm getting married in two days."

A smile instantly found its way on Zack's face. "Look how far you've come. Earlier today my best buddy was just a cadet struck by a serious illness and now he's a hero and getting hitched? Man, what a feat!"

Cloud shook his head. Zack was hopeless, but still, going back in time had been completely worth it.

"Who's the lucky bride?"

"Tifa."

"You mean that girl from your hometown?"

"Mhm."

"Awesome, congrats man," Zack stood up and stretched.

Cloud scanned the surrounding area. They were far away from the path Zack had taken, but that didn't mean they were out of danger.

"I'll take first watch," Cloud offered.

Zack nodded gratefully and laid down with his back to the fire. It was nice being able to relax and get some real sleep for once instead of catching ten minute naps every other hour for fear of being found and forced to run. Zack was tired, but hearing his friend's story filled him with excitement. Eventually, fatigue got the best of him and he drifted off into a deep sleep.

Cloud watched the fire reduce to smouldering embers as he replayed the last few hours in his mind. a part of him couldn't help but wonder if the events he was living now was time repeating itself. He had read some time-travel stories before, but it was always fictional. However, a part of his mind couldn't help but imagine himself back in his younger days and wondered, what would have happened if he had looked behind that rock, would he have seen an older version of himself? What would his older version tell him? Keep going? Be strong? Sure it made sense, but it could also have ended badly. It was already bad enough that during that time he had forgotten his friend and in a sense thought he was Zack. That was definitely something he was going to keep to himself.

A more painful truth bothered Cloud as he looked up at the night sky. He had purposely avoided talking about Aerith and didn't say what had happened to her. He couldn't bring himself to tell Zack that she was dead, if he did than Zack would be determined to save her this time. As much as Cloud wanted to, he couldn't. Aerith was a big part of why he was able to defeat Kadaj and the other remnants and she was also the one who had cured him and the children of Geostigma. Cloud knew he had to be very careful while in the past. Even good intentions could have disastrous effects. Lives could be destroyed, fates could be changed even he himself could be changed to the point where there would be no going back.

Cloud shuddered before shaking his head to clear it. He had to focus on the here and now and the mission. He saved Zack, now he had to get them both home to his time, but how he was going to do that was a complete mystery to him. He took a sip from his canteen as he leaned his back against the log. He'd figure out what to do next in the morning, for now he was enjoying the cool night air and watching over his sleeping friend.


	4. Chapter 4

_I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who has followed along with the story so far. The favs, follows and reviews really means a lot to me and I really love writing it. I hope you enjoy what this story has in store. And know that many of your questions will be answered in time. Again, thank you. ^_^_

**_CrimsonWing67:_**_ I __see what you're saying about the man openly blabbing the info to Cloud, however, keep in mind that they were the reinforcements, only 40 total and the group ahead of them was a lot larger and Zack was taking them down. He could clearly hear the battle going on and hearing all of those men falling before one soldier was making him desperate for all the help he could get, even from a stranger. Also, Cloud didn't ignore Aerith's death. As he explains in the last of the previous chapter he doesn't want to upset the natural flow of time too much. Aerith plays a big part in the future and simply taking her out of the __picture would change too much and Cloud's afraid of the outcome. However, don't __worry. We will see Aerith in this story and you may yet be surprised. ;) _

_**Suzululu4moe:** *shifty eyes* Now, you can't expect me to reveal future plot points, can you? It'd ruin the fun. ^_^_

**_BurntMyChocolate:_**_ I'm glad you're enjoying it so far, I'll try to have updates come on a more scheduled basis. At least one or two a month, but I make no promises. regardless, the story will be finished. I never walk away from an unfinished story. _

_And without further adieu, I present Chapter Four!_

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The smell of food woke Cloud from his slumber. Slowly, he got to his feet and stretched with a yawn. It must have been one long day of deliveries if he had decided to set up camp instead of returning home. He'd probably get an earful from Tifa. Speaking of which, he was surprised she hadn't called by now.

Someone approached from behind and Cloud turned only to be greeted by a shirtless Zack.

"Mornin'," he said while hanging his shirt over a nearby tree branch to dry.

That's when it all came back to the blonde, he was in the past to make sure his friend was part of his future.

"When did I fall asleep?" Cloud had planned to stay awake all night, knowing how tired his friend must have been. He watched as his friend went over to the fire. He didn't remember falling asleep.

"Not sure. Your snorin' woke me up," replied the Ex-SOLDIER, not taking his eyes of whatever he was cooking.

"I do not snore," he retorted, but Zack wasn't listening and instead focused on tending to their meal.

Cloud peeked over his friend's shoulder at the strange creatures boiling in the small makeshift pot, which was nothing more than a round stone that resembled a cup or small bowl.

"What are those?"

"Crawfish," Zack replied. "Found 'em when I was freshening up in the stream. I think we can both agree that I needed it." He chuckled to himself as the shelled, lobster-like creatures began to turn bright red.

"They're almost done, too bad there's no garlic butter."

Cloud shook his head before looking around the area. The forest seemed quiet enough, but the open field left them too exposed. They could be spotted from far off and the longer they stayed out in the open the more likely they were going to have unwanted company.

When the food was ready Zack picked up one of the crawfish and smirked at his friend who didn't seem to know how to go about eating it. "Lemme show you."

He took the shellfish in both hands and gripped the tail before twisting it and with a snap the head and tail pulled apart. Having eaten them before, Zack sucked the juice from the head. Now he really wished he had garlic butter. He then proceeded to peel away the shell from the tail, then holding the tip, he pulled the meat away and held it out for his friend to see.

"And that's all there is to it." Zack happily bit down on the small morsel and smiled as he took a moment to enjoy the flavor before swallowing.

"Looks like a lot of work for such a small bite," replied Cloud who looked at his own crawfish with uncertainty.

"Just wait 'til you taste it, I bet you'll change your mind," Zack replied as he reached for another one.

Cloud gave his another look before finally giving in to his curiosity. He peeled back the shell as Zack had shown him and took a bite.

"Well?" asked Zack.

For such a small bite, the meat was surprisingly sweet, and although there wasn't much flavor it still tasted a lot better than he thought it would.

"It is good." Cloud reached for another one.

Zack smiled, "Told ya so. I just wish I had some spices and proper vegetables to add to it. I can't cook much, but I make a mean crawfish meal."

They ate the rest in silence before packing up whatever items were laying about the campsite, which wasn't much. Zack put out the fire and made the area look like no one had ever been there while Cloud refueled Fenrir with the back up gas canister he always brought with him.

"So, how do we get to the future? Does your bike travel through time when it reaches a certain speed or what?"

Cloud arched an eyebrow at his friend. "What?"

"You know, does it have a Flux Capacitor?"

"Zack, are you feeling okay?"

"Don't you read? It's a famous time travel novel. I forget who the author is, but it's awesome. When we get to Midgar, I'll have to try and find a copy."

Cloud stopped his friend right there. "We're not going to Midgar, I thought I made that clear yesterday."

"Relax, Spiky. I just wanna tell someone that I'm okay. She hasn't seen me in four years, I gotta make it up to her."

Cloud knew right away who he was referring to and all he could do was look down at the ground. "Zack...we can't."

"Why not? I'm not going there to change history, I just want her to know that I'm okay. You'll like her."

"No, Zack. We. Can't. Go. There."

Zack's smile vanished as he looked at his friend, trying to read his expression. "Cloud,...you know who I'm talking about, don't you? And not just from stories I told you during the months we were on the run. You know her personally..."

"You darn right he does!"

Both friends turned towards the new voice, ready for anything when they saw a lone man riding a Chocobo. The man descended from his bird and scratched under its chin. The bird made a pleasant chirping sound before the man approached the two.

"Boy, you just can't seem to keep out of trouble, now can you?"

Cloud glared at the man. "And who are you?"

The man pulled back his straw hat to reveal blue eyes, his dirty-blonde hair was shoulder length, but it was spiky and pulled back into a ponytail. He looked to be in his mid forties with worn, ripped work pants and steel-toed boots. His tattered yellow shirt allowed him to blend in well with the surrounding environment.

The man walked closer to the two before studying Cloud over. Finally he sighed and gave him a pathetic smirk. "Sorry, I thought you was someone else. Shoulda known my boy wouldn't be able to lift a sword like that 'un, though I had hoped he's make SOLDIER one day. Ah, well. Go on with yer business an' don't mind me. I'll just find that time portal on my own."

"Time portal?" both repeated as the man approached his Chocobo.

"Yeah, don't blame ya if ya think I'm crazy. But I'll tell ya anyway, just not here. Them Shinra troops've been all over the place lately. I got stopped the other day and was questioned 'bout two strange men. Truth is, even if I'd seen 'em I'd never tell Shinra. Ever since they told me ma kid was dead I kindly told 'em where to shove it."

He mounted the large bird and patted her head. "C'mon Feather, ol' gal, Let's find these nice boys a safe place."

The bird chirped in response and headed off in the other direction. "C'mon! Don't wanna lose ya, she's a speedy gal!"

Zack threw his shirt back on and mounted Fenrir behind Cloud before they followed after the man. Cloud caught up easily enough, but kept at the same pace as the bird.

"Can she go any faster?" He called over the roar of the engine.

The man only laughed. "Like the wind, kid!"

As if used to the command, the chocobo squawked and put in an extra burst of speed, impressive even for the fastest of its kind.

They kept going for a while until they came upon another wooded area. The bird darted through the trees, but kept on a decent-sized path so the motorcycle could follow. another twenty minutes they came upon a well-hidden cottage with a small fenced in area that surrounded the barn.

The man dis-mounted his bird and led her towards the fence to put her up and let her rest while Zack and Cloud took in the scene. It was a very homely place, made for simple living. There was nothing special about it, however it felt safe enough. Nevertheless, the two still kept their guards up. they had lived through too much and learned never to judge a book by its cover, be it good or bad.

The man saw their expressions and laughed. "You two are such a hoot! Ya ain't got nothin' to worry about. I swear on my dear sweet Feather out there I'm no threat."

"Sorry," Zack admitted, "We've just been through a lot is all."

"I can tell you boys have seen hell, probably lived right in the heart of it too I'd wager."

Zack shuddered, the man didn't know how right he was. Cloud had been allowed a few extra years to try and move on from that horrible time, but to Zack it was still fresh. Cloud placed a hand on his friend's shoulder and nodded, Zack expressed his gratitude with a weak smile.

"So, Sir, do you have a name?"

Again the man laughed. "Pfft, a'corse I got a name, boy. Everyone does an' you can drop the whole 'sir' business. The name's Boruda, but everyone who knows me calls me Boulder."

"Boulder?" asked Cloud with a raised eyebrow.

"Think it's funny, do ya? Aw'right, what's your name? Spiky?"

Zack laughed, earning a glare from his friend. "No, but you got his nickname on the first try."

"My name is Cloud." the blonde answered, nudging his friend hard in the ribs.

Boulder only chuckled. "Oh yeah, that sounds _soo_ much better than mine. 'Least my name carries more weight."

At this both Boulder and Zack burst into fits of laughter at the man's joke. Cloud just rolled his eyes. Naturally, Zack would make friends with anyone, but they were wasting time. "You said something about a Time Portal?"

The man straightened out and nodded towards the firewood before pointing at Zack. "You, what's your name?"

"Zack."

"Right, Zack, go over there and get some firewood. Cloud, you come with me and help me set up some lunch. Then we'll talk."

The two exchanged glances before going off to do what the man asked. Cloud had a feeling it was going to be a long day.

* * *

_Where the heck did this guy come from? No, seriously. I'm just writing it out and he just appears on his Chocobo and starts writing himself if. Sheesh, talk about one nosy guy. Nah, I'm kiddin'. He's a pretty big character and knows far more than he lets on. His attitude makes him seem a lot like Cid imo. Possible relative maybe? *Shrugs*_


	5. Chapter 5

_I'm happy with this chapter. I only had to re-write it twice. Once because my computer forgot how to save and the second time I didn't like how it turned out. I am pleased with this chapter and the story will start picking up very soon. To everyone who has faved/followed/reviewed I thank you and if you like what you see so far, just wait, we haven't even gotten to the good stuff yet. ;) _

* * *

By the time Boulder had finished making their lunch - which was nothing more than a questionable, soup-y stew - the three sat down in the main room of the house where the fireplace was. There were two chairs which Boulder let the boys occupy while he sat on the stone shelf of the fireplace.

"So, what's this time portal you mentioned earlier?" asked Zack as he blew on his meal to cool it.

Boulder took a few bites of his stew before balancing the bowl on his lap and looked into the fire.

"It's a device that acts as a tunnel, connecting where you are and where you want to go. Or rather, _when_ you want to go. It can also teleport you to where you want to be. Say you was in the desert and you wanted to go back five years and end up somewhere in the mountains, the machine would take you there."

Zack looked on in amazement and casted a glance to see his friend's expression, but Cloud glared at the man with suspicion. "Cloud?"

"You dropped your accent," the blonde replied, glaring at the older man.

Boulder sighed, "That's just for show, kid. To be honest, its natural, but I don't even feel right usin' it anymore. Not when there's no home for me to go back to."

"C'mon Spiky, give the guy a break. He's helpin' us out," Zack pouted.

Boulder held up a hand, "No, he's got every reason to be suspicious. I mean what are the odds that some random stranger will just show up, offer a couple of wanted men some shelter and talk about time travel,...unless of course, he's got a story of his own."

Yep. Cloud knew it'd be a long day.

"I was young, stupid and in love. I met the sweetest, most kind-hearted woman you could ever lay your eyes on. I was seventeen at the time and wanted to make a life for us, so I gave her whatever money I had saved up along with a token to show her that no matter what I'd always love her. And then I left to join SOLDIER. Sadly, they had other plans for me. I scored high in the academics, but I failed miserably in the physical course. I was one clumsy fool. No one was gonna accept someone like me into the program, so when I was offered a job as a scientist I took it."

Boulder set his food down next to him. "I studied and learned a lot and decided to come back to look for her, but she was gone. The village was glad that she had left. I asked where she went, but they wouldn't tell me. All they said was that I should forget about her because she had gotten herself pregnant. I had only been gone seven months, so there was a chance that the kid was mine. I wanted to find her, but I never did. Still, I didn't give up hope though. Even as the years went by."

"That's crazy!" Zack finished his meal and sat it down on the table next to him. "I've been away for a few years and I have no idea what's happened to Aerith, but I'm still gonna go look for her. Even though I know there's a chance she's settled down with someone else, As long as she's happy, I'll still be okay with that."

Cloud struggled to keep silent. Part of him wanted to assure Zack that Aerith would always wait for him, but it would only strengthen the Ex-Soldier's resolve to head to Midgar. To the blonde's relief, Boulder continued with his story.

"That's what I came to terms with as well. As long as she was happy, it was enough for me, though I was still determined to let her know I was alive. I went back to work, and for years I kept my hopes up and looked for any signs of her. Finally I found where she had lived. Some old town - it's name wasn't even worth remembering. But it had been destroyed and no one had survived. Sources said there was a group of turncoats, traitors of Shinra that went around making life hell for anyone who supported the company. There was a mako reactor there and they said that was the reason they attacked was to destroy it. They also warned me not to go, in case they was still around, but I didn't care about the danger. I had to see for myself."

Boulder went silent for a moment and both Cloud and Zack knew he was reliving that horrible day - replaying it for what seemed to be the hundredth time, but it never lost it's shock and the bitter ache still lashed at Boulder's heart.

"It was horrible. The whole place was nothin' but ashes. I had no proof she was there because the lifestream had already taken all the poor souls to a better place. But Shinra lied. That reactor was still standing and workin' jus' fine! I hated Shinra ever since, just knowing that they lied to me makes my blood boil. It's like they were trying to hide somethin'. Too bad I never found out what. I went back determined to go back and make things right."

"You wanted to change the company?" asked Cloud.

"No. Shinra can go rot in a hole for all I care. I wanted to change my own past. So I worked for over five years to create and perfect a time-travel device. Hojo was gone most of the time during those years which was a great relief - I couldn't stand that guy. Anyways, I was able to make it work. I tested it on a cabbage which appeared on my desk five minutes later. It was a perfect success. I was gonna keep the results secret and use it on myself later, after I had everything packed and planned out. That's when the screams started down the hall."

This caught both the younger men by surprise.

"Screams?" asked Zack.

"Yeah. Someone was raisin' hell down the hall, and it sounded like just one person. they were killing 'em in one fell swoop and they were coming closer. I activated the machine and started punching in the time and place to make my escape when the door opened and what I saw terrified me. The guy had completely lost his mind."

"You saw who it was?" asked Zack, surprised that someone would just go on a rampage through the Shinra building, well, there were a few he had known, but they were either dead or missing. Cloud had an idea, but he kept silent.

"It was the hero of Shinra. The one SOLDIER everyone had respected and feared: Sephiroth."

Zack rose up from his chair, almost knocking it back. "That's impossible! He's dead!"

"Zack," Cloud tried to calm his friend, but the energetic puppy would not be reasoned with.

"No! We went through hell trying to take him down! I refuse to believe that all our suffering was for nothing! How can you be so calm about this?!"

"Sephiroth isn't that easy to kill," Cloud admitted.

"You threw him into a vat of mako. That should have been all it took," retorted the other.

"That was only the first time I fought him, and that was mostly luck. I've clashed with him twice since then."

Zack was rendered speechless. "...What?"

Boulder smiled at Cloud. "Could've used you for protection that day."

"What happened next? asked Cloud, eager to move past his past fights with the Ex-General. Zack however, was still gawking at his blonde friend in bewilderment.

"I was so terrified of the monster that came stalking towards me with his sword poised to strike that I hit two buttons. One was the start button and the other changed the destination I had set. I ended up in a small water hole next to a startled chocobo. She came at me and started pecking me to death for scaring her so much."

"So, what happened to the Time Portal, where is it now?" Zack was both curious and eager to learn more.

Boulder lightly tapped the side of his forehead with his spoon. "Right up here. See, since I'm in the past the machine hasn't been created yet. I gotta wait until my younger self finishes it first."

"That could take years!" Zack proclaimed.

"One month, five days," Boulder replied. "That's when the Silver demon attacks and if we want to get there in one piece we'll have to be careful. The last thing we want is to run into him again. I certainly don't. That guy's sword is way too long, and those eyes,... they ain't natural. And there's more than just him to worry about. There's Shinra security and those guys from Avalanche."

"They won't be any trouble, still we should avoid them all the same," replied Cloud.

Boulder smiled. "You're a time-traveler too, ain't ya?"

Cloud nodded.

"An' let me guess, your younger self is probably in cahoots with that group. Blowin' up reactors, that's some hazardous work, suppose you fell into the mako? If it don't kill you right away you wish it would have, didn't yer folks teach you better?"

A flash of emotion spread across the blonde's face, but it was gone before either of the two could tell what it was. Without another word Cloud got up and headed outside. Zack went to follow, but Boulder placed a hand on his shoulder, stopping him.

"Let him be,"

"But, something's troubling him."

"I know," the older man replied, "just give him some space. He'll tell ya when he's ready."

He got up, leaving his dish where it was. "Come on, I'll show you the blue prints for the device."

Zack took one last glance at the door before sighing in defeat and followed Boulder upstairs.

A few hours had passed and the sun was starting to set when Boulder went to feed Feather. That's where he found Cloud.

He was sitting on a stack of hay in the chocobo's pen while the bird tried to keep him company. She made a sad chirping sound and gently clipped her beak, nipping at some of his spikes. He patted her beak without looking up.

"You know she thinks she's your mother now."

Cloud looked over towards the entrance where Boulder was standing.

"What?"

"They only act like that around their chicks. Feather an' I are close, but she's never done that to me. Must be somethin' special about you she likes."

"I doubt it." Cloud stood up and made to leave, passing by the older man.

"You need to tell him soon, before he goes off on his own."

Cloud turned and looked at Boulder. "You know more than you're letting on,"

Boulder just turned and smiled. "We all got our secrets. The only question left to us is who to trust them with?"

"I trust Zack."

"You sure got a funny way a showin' it. He can handle the truth. You owe him that at the very least."

Cloud narrowed his gaze, "How do you know?"

Boulder only smiled. "It's a secret."

Cloud shot the man a glare before heading out the barn door when Boulder addressed him again. "If I said somethin' back there that offended ya, I'm sorry. I'm not used to talkin' to people so I don't always realize when I a cross a line."

Cloud just slightly shrugged and slowly blinked. "It's fine."

"Wanna get it off yer chest? I ain't tryin' to sound like yer Pop, but even the silent types need to vent. It ain't healthy to keep everything bottled up."

The younger man smirked, but it wasn't one of humor or joy. "I wouldn't know what a father sounded like. He left before I was born. Some said he died, others said he left for Wutai and never looked back."

Boulder's mood shifted as he suddenly found himself uncomfortable. "Ah, that was the line."

"That never really bothered me," Cloud admitted and it was the truth. He never had a father, so he figured he shouldn't let it get to him. Like someone who was born without sight, if they never had it, they couldn't miss it, right?

"But, what about yer Ma? Didn't she teach ya any codes or morals?" Boulder didn't really want to make the guy more upset, but he had already opened the floodgates. Might as well keep going.

"She's...in the lifestream," was the best way for Cloud to put it. He didn't remember much of his past growing up, thanks to being stuck in a lab for five years and then suffering over the mako poisoning on top of losing his best friend. Something he was determined to prevent at all costs.

Boulder just shook his head. "Damn, you SOLDIERs sure got a tough life."

"There's still something I don't understand."

Boulder glanced over at him, "And what's that?"

"When you first appeared, you said your son joined Shinra to become a SOLDIER and yet you despise the company. Why would you let him enlist?"

A smile appeared on the man's face. "Because it was his dream. Like many other kids, he wanted to be just like the Great Sephiroth, but my son had other reasons. He wanted to protect those around him. He didn't do it for the fame..." Boulder set the bucket of feed down and folded his arms, "...Nah, my kid was really somethin' - a clumsy somethin', but he never stopped tryin'."

Boulder closed his eyes and huffed with amusement, obviously thinking about memories of his son. "You should've met 'im, My kid could've used a friend like you,...tough as nails, blunt, yet not without heart."

Cloud tried to let the compliment roll over him, he wasn't one for flattery. "Hmph, you're good at reading people, you should have been a Turk."

He headed back to the house to go find Zack when Boulder called over to him. "Yer friend's upstairs working on something, I set up a place for ya in the guest room!"

Cloud didn't look back, but raised a hand to show he had heard him before heading inside. Picking up the bucket of feed, Boulder turned to look at his long-time friend.

"Well ol' girl? Think I have a chance this time?"

Feather squawked in response before turning her attention to her meal, which was late.

"Easy! Sheesh! It ain't like it wouldn't hurt ya to lose a few pounds!"

More angry squawks could be heard from the barn followed by a pain-filled holler a minute later.

* * *

_Not much action this chapter, but that'll change soon enough. Gaia knows Zack needed a little break after all the running and fighting he had been doing. I know I owe some replies to reviews and I promise I shall get to them soon.  
_


	6. Chapter 6

_I had totally forgotten that I had finished this. Ugh, please forgive me. It was probably late at night when I finished it so, I blame my bad memory on lack of sleep. anyways, I see many of you are very curious to know exactly who Boulder really is. Well, I'll tell you...in a later chapter. ...what? Oh come on, you didn't really think I was gonna give it away this soon did'ja? I don't know what some of you might be guessing, but the answer is no. You will not guess who he is. I can promise you that. _

_Enjoy and I wanted to thank everyone for the positive feedback. Favs/follows and such. you guys are awesome and I thank every single one of you. Warm hugs and Cookies for everyone!_

* * *

If Cloud hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he wouldn't have believed it. When he opened the door to the spare bedroom and found Zack, he thought his raven-haired friend was reading over something, but in fact he was hard at work. On the desk were several blue prints of the time travel device and it looked like he was trying to draw something on blank sheet. But the puppy seemed a bit flustered.

"Zack?"

The blonde didn't want to break his friend's concentration, but he was getting a little worried.

"I can't do it!" Zack suddenly shouted, causing his friend's eyes to widen. Anyone else probably would have jumped a foot or two, but Cloud had better control of his emotions than most.

"Can't do what?"

Zack scratched his head frantically with both hands. "I can't tell which blue print is the real one!"

Cloud didn't exactly know how to respond to that. He just stood there and blinked. Zack turned, saw his friend's expression and shoved a random print into the blonde's face. "They all look the same, but they all have B.S. written on them. If they're all _bullshit_ then how am I suppose to know how to work the real one when we find it?"

Cloud couldn't help a small smile, it was mixed with both sympathy and amusement. "Zack,...those are initials."

The ex-SOLDIER just blinked for a few seconds as that sunk in. "Oh." He took the paper and looked at it again. "So,...I've been driving myself crazy over the past hour for nothing?"

"Seems like it," replied Cloud.

Now that his friend seemed to be more down-to-earth Cloud decided to bring up a more important issue. "I don't trust Boulder."

"Why?" asked Zack. "He hasn't done anything to pose a threat to us and he's offering to help us get back to your time. I mean, sure the guy's a bit odd, but we don't really have room much room to talk."

"He knows too much, about us, and...I can't shake the feeling that he's hiding something."

"He's not the only one hiding something," Zack replied with a tone that sounded offended and maybe a bit...hurt?

Cloud met his friend's gaze and for once, he didn't see their eager, friendly shine. Zack's eyes were serious and reminded Cloud of the look they got when the soldier was about to fight. The swordsman suddenly had a very bad feeling.

"Cloud, I never wanted to hold this against you, because it wasn't your fault, but...you owe me the truth. I got us out of that mansion and for months I carried you from place to place. I kept us both alive and it wasn't always easy. A few times you had stopped breathing and it scared the hell outta me. I thought I was losing my best friend...and now...I'm kinda getting that same feeling."

"Zack, I'm not going anywhere. I know I owe you my life a hundred times over. That's why the first thing I did when I got to the past was to save you."

"Good." Zack replied before he gripped his friend's shoulder tightly, making Cloud wince ever-so-slightly. "Then you can start by telling me the entire story and I want the truth this time. Back at the campsite you had completely avoided mentioning Sephiroth. I want to know why."

Cloud gave into defeat. He knew he wouldn't be able to keep that secret from him forever, but he hoped it would have lasted a little longer.

"I avoided mentioning him because in truth, he still terrifies me. Every time he comes back he takes something else that's important to me. At one point...he managed to take control of my mind."

Zack felt like his stomach was full of rocks. No wonder his friend was trying to avoid talking about him. He didn't want Cloud to dwell on such horrible memories for too long. it was unfair.

"Sorry, I know Seph can be a real stick in the mud, but if I'm going to go to the future with you then I need to know what happened. All of your other friends do, right?"

"They were there with me when he was brought down...both times in fact," replied the blonde.

Zack smirked with a nod as he eased his grip and patted his friend's shoulder. "Okay then, I don't want to be the only one left out of the loop. Besides, after the hell we've lived through I don't think there's anything else that can really hurt me."

Cloud forced a smile as Zack broke into laughter. Cloud didn't cry, but he wanted to at that moment. He was certain at that moment. He didn't have it in him to talk about Aerith.

_. . ._

The next morning Boulder was up early as always. Going about his daily routine which consisted of brewing coffee, removing the ash and burnt charcoals of last evening fire from the fireplace and bringing the ask out to one of the fields to help enrich the soil. He knew it had been helping that patch as he saw purple and blue flowers dotting the field. He then focused on other chores, like bringing Feather her morning feed, cleaning out her stall, and refilling her water supply. By the time he entered the house he realized that something was missing. He really wasn't a breakfast person, but the boys upstairs might enjoy a good meal.

Fifteen minutes later Boulder carefully opened the door to the guest room. He felt kinda bad that he only had one bed in there, but he'd figure something out later. It was surprisingly dark in the room so he made his way over to the window and pulled back the curtain. He turned to look at the occupant sleeping in the bed.

Zack was quietly snoring with one foot hanging lazily off the edge of the bed. Boulder was half-tempted to kick it in order to wake him up, but what was at his feet stopped him cold and he was instantly grateful he hadn't stepped on the boy in the darkness.

Right at his feet was the sleeping blonde. Boulder took a moment to observe the kid. Well, he wasn't really a kid, but to Boulder anyone who was younger than thirty was a kid. Cloud was different though. He looked so peaceful, so innocent laying there, it was almost like Boulder was looking down on a small child clutching a teddy bear.

"Amazing, isn't it? He's been through so much and yet he can still look so damn peaceful in his sleep."

Boulder pulled his eyes away from Cloud to look over at the ex-SOLDIER who was now sitting up and looking down at his friend. Boulder nodded.

"He thinks you're hiding something from us, and he doesn't trust you. Is he right?"

Boulder sighed, resisting the urge to turn soft. "I did my fair share of time-jumping through the years," he replied. "I know some things about both of you, but he's not ready for it. Same goes for you, I can't tell you, as much as I want to."

"Why?" asked Zack. "If we know what's gonna happen then we have a better chance of making it right this time."

Boulder tried hard to keep his voice low as he laughed. "Because that's exactly what I did last time and it nearly cost me everything. I was only able to make it back at the right moment to try again."

Zack tilted his head. "Did it work?"

Boulder closed his eyes and smiled. "Don't know yet."

A quiet moan at Boulder's feet brought his attention back to Cloud. He was taking in a few short breaths through his nose before mumbling something, "mmm...bacon..."

Boulder and Zack both blinked at the blonde until the older man's head shot up. "The breakfast!"

He lept over the blonde who had been startled awake by the sudden volume of the man's shout as Boulder thundered across the floor and down the stairs. Cloud sat up scratching his messy-blonde hair. "What was that about?" he asked drowsily.

"I think he's making breakfast for us," replied Zack.

Cloud mumbled something before failing to fight back a yawn.

"I doubt he wants to poison us," chuckled Zack.

Cloud huffed and shook his head. "I forgot how good your hearing is."

_. . ._

Despite the older man's earlier panic the breakfast turned out quite nicely. Cloud quickly let go of the idea of poison food as he tucked in with as much gusto as Zack. Well,...almost. Zack was being...Zack as he wolfed down his meal. Though, Cloud had to remind himself that while he had enjoyed meals cooked by Tifa, it had been months since Zack had had a decent meal. Being on the run and all.

Boulder just stood there and shook his head at the puppy Cloud just shrugged as he took another drink of milk. "Sorry, he never had the best table manners. It took a lot just to get him house-broken."

"Hey!" came Zack's reply as he gave his friend the 'kicked-puppy' look.

Boulder only laughed, relieved that the blonde was trying to make an effort to be friendly. "He ain't no trouble, you should see Feather when she misses a meal or two."

He cleared his throat as he closed his eyes taking on a tone of great wisdom, "Wrath hath no fury like a hungry chocobo."

It was Zack's turn to chuckle, "Cloud would know all about that, wouldn't ya buddy?"

Cloud shot him a look that screamed, _"bite me."_

After breakfast Zack had decided to prove his friend wrong by doing the dishes before Boulder even had a chance to object. Cloud had taken the liberty to look around the house and check out their surroundings. There were a few good hiding places and it seemed the wooded area behind the house seemed secluded enough. in fact, Cloud noticed that aside from the large rock jutting up from the ground behind the house it was surrounded by trees and was built in a flowered meadow. It reminded him of the kind of scenery one would see on a greeting card and tried to picture the scene before him covered in snow. The area was very comforting and reminded him a little of home. Not the people, but maybe the warm feeling he got when he tried to remember what it was like coming home from a hike in the woods behind the town and seeing his mother there waiting for him.

Cloud mentally slapped himself. What the hell was he thinking about that for? Nibelhiem was long gone...and despite the sudden hope that surged through him, he realized that even if he was in the past his home was still gone. He didn't travel back in time far enough to save his mother. It made him wonder, why was the lifestream doing this for him? True he had saved the world, but why go to such an extent? He'd never regret wishing for a second chance, Zack was alive and probably annoying the heck out of Boulder at this very moment, but then came a second realization. He had never actually wished to go back. His exact words were, _'I wish you could see this'_, nothing in that statement hinted to wanting to go back and fix past mistakes, or at least he didn't think so.

Shoving his hands into his pockets, Cloud made his way over to check on Fenrir. True it didn't need to actually be taken care of, like Feather, but he pretty much considered it his baby, after all the work he had put into it, all the late nights of tinkering with it and building it from scrap. He considered it one of his greatest accomplishments. So it surprised him all the more when he saw Boulder standing in front of it.

"Pretty impressive ride you have," he replied as Cloud approached, his eyes calm and calculated, wondering what the man was doing.

boulder sighed and shook his head. He could practically _feel _the suspicion coming from the kid in waves. "Kid, would you stop lookin' at me like I'm tryin' to kill ya? Why would I go through all this trouble if I wasn't trustworthy?"

"I don't think you're trying to kill me," Cloud replied calmly.

"Then what's with the attitude?"

"Trust me," Cloud started before he placed his hand on the bike, causing the hidden compartments to pop open as he quickly took one of the swords and poked the end of it at Boulder's throat. "If I thought you were going to try anything you wouldn't still be breathing."

Boulder suddenly burst out laughing causing Cloud to lower his sword slightly. "I love it! That fiery spirit, that glare in your eyes, you really are a hero."

Cloud raised an eye brow, "And what gave you that impression?"

Boulder slapped a hand down on Cloud's shoulder and smirked, "When you've lived as long as I have you learn a few things about a person pretty quick. They say the eyes are the window to a person's soul and your's screams the need to protect. That's what a hero does. They protect the ones they care about. Believe me, I've seen that enough times to know what I'm talking about."

Cloud was about to respond when something caught his attention and he glanced to look behind him out of the corner of his eye. Boulder sensed the change and his smile faded. "What is it?"

Cloud waited for a few more seconds before turning back to Boulder. "A patrol's coming."


End file.
